Alternatives: Seeing Red
by AustinA1234
Summary: A one-shot story; a alternate middle/ending to Seeing Red.


_**Alternatives: Seeing Red**_

(A/N: An alternative Seeing Red, picking up right after Spike's attempted rape. Also, these characters and some of the dialogue isn't mine.)

Buffy staggered backwards, her hand holding up her robe.

"Ask me again why I could never love you."

Spike seemed horrified at what he had done, and Buffy wanted to believe that, but in the back of her mind, she knew that he wasn't really feeling _too_ much remorse. How could he?

"Buffy, my god...I didn't..." Spike muttered.

"Because I stopped you!" She said, angrily. She walked near the counter and opened up one of the drawers. "Something I should've done a long time ago." She reached inside the drawer and pulled out a stake.

"B-Buffy...?" Spike muttered. He didn't even have a chance to react as Buffy swiftly pinned him to the bathroom door, the stake pinned to his chest. "Wait –"

"No." Buffy said, cutting him off. "You were right. I should've let Xander kill you. I don't know why I didn't kill you years before this. Thankfully, this story _will_ have a dusty ending." Spike's eyes went wide as Buffy plunged the stake into his chest.

"Wait, n-"Spike started to say, but he burst into dust before he could finish. Buffy let the stake fall, and it clattered to the floor. She sighed and walked back to the bathtub, and slowly climbed in...

_**The Next Day...:**_

Willow and Tara were standing in their room, after getting dressed.

"Hey, look." Willow said. "Clothes."

"Better not get used to them." Tara said with a impish grin.

Willow laughed and said, "Yes, ma'm." She pulled Tara close for a hug, and then Tara said. "Xander!"

"Not exactly the response I was fishing for." Willow said, pulling back.

"No." Tara said, with a soft smile, pointing out the window. "He's here."

Willow turned to pull something out of the dresser. "Think they're making up?"

"Oh, I hope so." Tara said, turning around to face Willow. "That's the best part."

Outside, Buffy was poking around the garden. "Time for the spring poking, already?" Xander said.

"No, just checking for more evil trio cameras." Buffy said, and then corrected herself. "Or evil uno."

"The sinister yet addictive card game?"

"No, Andrew and Jonathon got clinked...but Warren pulled a Rocket Man."

"You'll get him." Xander said. "He won't be much good without his friends."

"No, he won't." Buffy agreed, sitting down on the bench, Xander joining her.

"How did we get here?" Xander asked.

"Scenic route." Buffy said. "Long drive."

"The past few weeks..." Xander muttered.

"I know."

"I thought I hit rock bottom...but, it hurt. That you didn't trust me enough to tell me about Spike." He said. "It hurt."

"I'm sorry. I should've told you." Buffy said. "But, I do have something that might be a little interesting."

"What?"

"Spike's finished." Buffy said.

"What?" Xander asked, obviously surprised.

"Last night, he..." Buffy said. "He tried to force me to..."

"Son of a bitch." Xander muttered.

"Yeah..." Buffy said. "I didn't even think much, I just staked him."

"Good for you, he more than deserved it." Xander said with a grin. Buffy suddenly pulled him into a tight hug.

"I love you." Buffy said. "You know that right?"

"Buffy!" Xander said. She turned around and saw Warren approaching her.

"You think could just do that to me?" Warren said, furiously. "You think I'd let you get away with that?" He laughed like a lunatic, throwing his hands in the air. "Think again." He raised a gun, pointed at Buffy. Buffy didn't think, she just jumped out of the way, and Warren fired the gun, hitting Buffy in the leg, and Xander twice in the chest.

Willow and Tara came running out the back door. "We heard gunshots." Tara explained. "Did someone-" She stopped when she saw them, lying on the grass. "Oh, god...who...?"

"Warren." Buffy said, groaning.

Willow knelt down by Xander. "Xand?" She said, in a small voice, tears spilling from her eyes. "Oh, god, no. Xander!" She screamed. "Someone call an ambulance!" Buffy and Tara nodded and ran, or in Buffy's case limped, inside. "Xander! Wake up!" Willow cried out, furiously shaking him. He wasn't responding. Willow looked up at the sky, and her eyes flashed a deep red....


End file.
